


Masquerade!

by Nighthaunting



Category: Warhammer - All Media Types, Warhammer 40.000
Genre: M/M, Prompt Fic, except they did, the phantom of the opera au no one asked for
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-09
Updated: 2016-05-09
Packaged: 2018-06-07 08:49:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6797302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nighthaunting/pseuds/Nighthaunting
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Magnus just wants to haunt his former opera house in peace.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Masquerade!

The masque had been raging since the afternoon, but no one truly fashionable or noble arrived till evening. Magnus had been preparing for this event in his own way since he’d heard if it.  
  
Ferrus and Fulgrim should never have bought his opera house, and tonight he would show them why.  
  
At exactly midnight, Magnus stepped out and paused at the head of the grand staircase. Slowly, the sea of people in the ballroom turned to face him. He’d dressed in a provocative yet fittingly symbolic manner; with his scarlet coat and breeches, and violently red mask and hat, there was no mistaking him as anything other than the Red Death. Once Magnus deemed he had a fitting audience, he slowly began to descend the stairs.  
  
The crowd parted, excited whispers breaking out, as he reached the ballroom floor and moved towards his goal. On a whim, Magnus gathered up his crimson cloak and flourished it a few times as he stepped from the final stair.  
  
The object of his intentions was in the middle of a group of couples who had paused their dance when he arrived. Magnus could see his mask clearly and continued his steady progress toward him.  
  
The mask was blue, with intricate detailing around the eyes and a crest of horns and bright feathers. As he drew nearer, Magnus began to notice a few small details that confused him. He had never known Ahriman to favor powdering his hair, but he had apparently done so tonight. Also, the robes of his costume were tight across the shoulders, too tight for a costume that was supposed to fit him.  
  
As he reached Ahriman, though, Magnus set these thoughts aside and bowed and offered his hand in an invitation to dance. Nodding smartly to the conductor, Magnus led them into a waltz, other dancers joining in as the shock of Magnus’ arrival slowly began to ease.  
  
He grinned behind his mask, and gracefully turned Ahriman, steering their dance towards the special place he’d prepared. Once they were there, he spun their dance again, and the great crash as the false square of floor gave way was enough to drown every other noise in the room. Magnus held Ahriman tightly as they fell through the trap door, and listened to the horrified screams echoing from above.  
  
They landed gently on a pile of mattresses in the basement of the opera house. Magnus sprang up to offer Ahriman a hand, but he didn’t accept it. Instead, laughing, he removed the mask.  
  
“Russ!” Magnus was mildly furious to have put all that effort in to have apparently abducted the wrong person, “Where is Azhek?”  
  
“In his room,” Russ replied, grinning at him while stripping out of the too-small costume, “he said he had a headache but I think he really just wanted to stay in and read.”  
  
Magnus sputtered, “I didn’t even know you were in Paris!”  
  
“Oh, yes,” Russ said mildly, finding a comb somewhere in the folds of the torn costume and beginning to brush the powder from his hair, “I just got back this evening, and dear Ahriman was just so insistent that I not miss the masque.”  
  
The way Russ said it made Magnus think, knowing Azhek, that the intention had been to get Russ to go away so he could read in peace. Magnus sighed.  
  
“It was sweet of you to abduct me, though,” Russ added. The look he gave Magnus was much too coy for someone shedding hair powder everywhere.  
  
“I wasn’t there to abduct you,” Magnus said hotly, “I can abduct you whenever I want, you’re easy,” the look Russ gave him was withering enough he nearly took it back, but Magnus pressed on, “Azhek has been avoiding me.”  
  
Russ snorted, “I see, and dragging him through a trap door to a pile of mattresses in a dusty basement is going to make him think better of you?” He paused for a moment as he realized what he’d said, and then grinned, “Why, Magnus, I never realized you had it in you.”  
  
Magnus shifted uncomfortably and prepared to defend his intentions from Russ’ degenerate and oversexed mind. It was at this point he realized Russ was naked. And still grinning at him.  
  
“You’re not very good at this whole opera ghost thing, my dear,” Russ said to him.  
  
Magnus gave in and kissed him so he’d stop being smug.

**Author's Note:**

> Magnus is the opera ghost because, despite being a great artist, he's a terrible businessman they foreclosed on his opera house. He still lives in the basement though. Ferrus and Fulgrim are kind of patiently waiting for him to come out so they can offer him a job. Russ is Madam Giry and rules the ballet corps with an iron fist, Ahriman had to help him into that costume and it was a tight fit. Ahriman is Christine, except he was actually taking formal music lessons from Magnus and is now very mad at him for apparently forgetting to pay his taxes and thus getting the opera house forcelosed.


End file.
